Aidenn: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal of American Literature

Volume 1 Issue 1 Article 7

2015

Analyzing True Self-Reliance and Individualism

Stephanie Greene Liberty University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Greene, Stephanie (2015) "Analyzing True Self-Reliance and Individualism," Aidenn: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal of American Literature: Vol. 1 : Iss. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lujal/vol1/iss1/7

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Aidenn: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal of American Literature by an authorized editor of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Greene: Analyzing True Self-Reliance and Individualism Greene 1

Stephanie Greene

ENGL 201 – 004

Professor Mark Harris

12 November 2015

Analyzing True Self-Reliance and Individualism

The story of “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving remains a favorite throughout

generations, and for good reason, considering the abnormal circumstances that its main

character, Rip, undergoes. Given the vast number of people that enjoy this work, it is only

natural that several different interpretations concerning it abound. One critic, Daniel Plung,

focuses on what he notes as the themes of individualism and self-reliance throughout the story.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines individualism as “the habit of being independent and

self-reliant; behaviour characterized by the pursuit of one's own goals without reference to

others; free and independent individual action or thought.” Based on this definition, readers can

compare Plung’s article, “’Rip Van Winkle’: Metempsychosis and the Quest for Self-Reliance”

against the original piece to see how Plung’s ideas about individualism and self-reliance

correspond with the actual story. Although Plung states that individualism and self-reliance have

always been goals that Rip seeks to achieve, that he develops these characteristics upon his

return from the mountain, and that he reaches a state of solitude after his experience, I do not

completely agree with Plung’s assessment.

First, Plung notes in his article that Rip has always sought the goal of becoming self-

reliant and attaining individualism. He supports this by stating, “This ability to dominate one’s

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personal universe is actually what Rip had been seeking all along” (Plung 79). Since the story

says that Rip is always willing to help with his neighbors’ needs yet shows reluctance towards

assisting in his duties at home, Plung reasons that Rip simply desires to be in control of his own

actions, as opposed to catering to his wife’s desires: “It is not the labor or work that he detests

and avoids; it is external pressure he resists. He wants to be self-reliant” (Irving 79). However,

when readers study the story of “Rip Van Winkle,” they can also note that Rip’s trips to the

mountain are not motivated out of a desire to assert his individuality but rather to escape the

chaos and responsibilities of his home life and to find peace. This is evidenced in the portion

that reads, “Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative to escape

from the labour of the farm and the clamour of his wife, was to take gun in hand, and stroll away

into the woods” (Irving 33). Additionally, Irving writes that as a result of Rip’s laziness, his

children lack proper clothing and behave as orphans. These are definitely not signs of a man

who aims to be self-reliant and individualistic, for he cannot even care for his own family. If Rip

were truly self-reliant and individualistic, his family would not be in need of others’ pity and

handouts. Therefore, Plung’s assessment of Rip’s desires contradicts details within the story.

Next, Plung concludes that Rip becomes self-reliant and individualistic upon his return

from the mountain. He writes, “Originally, Rip was incapable of countering the forces

represented by Dame Van Winkle; now he is successful in denying these forces; he is also

successful in succeeding Nicholas Vedder as village patriarch, the position he most envied”

(Plung 78). However, this point is not entirely true. Before he leaves for the mountain, Rip

struggles with the difficulties of managing his farm, tending to his children, and maintaining a

healthy marriage. This is evidenced in the passage that reads, “But as to doing family duty and

keeping his farm in order, it was impossible” (Irving 31), as well as later when Irving writes that

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“His children, too, were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to nobody” (Irving 31). When

Rip returns, he no longer holds the responsibility of working his farm, his children are grown,

and his wife has passed. Additionally, the story goes on to say that Rip reunites with his

daughter and proceeds to live with her family. “Rip’s daughter took him home to live with her;

she had a snug, well-furnished house, and a stout cheery farmer for a husband, whom Rip

recollected for one of the urchins that used to climb upon his back” (Irving 39-40). Although

Rip may have established some kind of individuality in gaining freedom to do as he pleases, free

from the responsibilities he once held, he certainly does not achieve self-reliance, as he depends

on his daughter to provide housing for him. Thus, despite Plung’s belief that Rip develops self-

reliance and individualism, evidence in the story suggests otherwise.

Finally, Plung determines that Rip is able to achieve solitude when he returns. He writes,

“After his return from the mountains, Rip finally achieves this solitude in the midst of society; he

manages to attain the ideal condition” (Plung 79). He supports this by all of Rip’s noble

accomplishments and how he can now choose who he interacts with. After all, Irving does write

that Rip “took his place once more on the bench, at the inn door, and was reverenced as one of

the patriarchs of the village, and a chronicle of the old times ‘before the war’” (Irving 40).

However, how is his condition ideal? The story says that many of his friends have died, and he

misses not only the events of an entire war but also the opportunity of watching his children

grow into adults. Yes, he proceeds to establish great relationships within his village, but he

ultimately misses out on twenty years of his life. Irving writes, “It was some time before he

could get into the regular track of gossip, or could be made to comprehend the strange events that

had taken place during his torpor” (Irving 40). Although Rip eventually assimilates into society

again, the fact remains that he loses twenty good years of his life that he could have spent raising

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his children. One can only imagine the negative effect that his absence had on his children, as

they grew up without a father-figure. Hence, the idea that Rip achieves a better life and solitude

when he returns from the mountain remains a debatable matter of perspective.

In conclusion, although Plung makes great points in support of his ideas regarding the

themes of individualism and self-reliance throughout the story of “Rip Van Winkle,” other

details contradict his perspectives. Plung writes, “Irving was depicting, twenty-two years before

Emerson labeled the idea, the American concept of self-reliance” (Plung 77). This theme of self-

reliance certainly prevails throughout the story. However, to claim that Rip exhibits self-reliance

negates his habitual lazy behavior, both before and after his mountain experience. Likewise,

although Rip attains individualism to a degree, he still remains connected to the community and

lives with his daughter when he returns. Hence, aspects of self-reliance and individualism are

only seen to a small degree. Because of this, while Plung utilizes pieces of the story to support

his beliefs that Rip seeks and attains self-reliance and individualism as well as peace, it is easy to

suggest the opposite. Thus, depending on one’s interpretation of the story, analyzing the aspects

of self-reliance and individualism within “Rip Van Winkle” may reap diverse results.

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Works Cited

"Individualism." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2015. Web. 11 November

2015.

Irving, Washington. "Rip Van Winkle." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Vol. B.

8th Ed. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton, 2012. 30-40. Print.

Plung, Daniel L. ""Rip Van Winkle": Metempsychosis and the Quest for Self-Reliance." 11 May

2015. JSTOR. Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association. Web.

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